Screen printing apparatus



June 30, 1959 Filed Jan. 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Clyde G. Sat MY BY Attorney c. G. SUTLIFF- 1 2,892,398 I SCREEN PRINTING APPARATUS J1me 1959 c. G. SUTLIFF 2,

SCREEN PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Clyde Sutbff "2,8923% SCREEN PRIN ING APPARATUS. V Clyde Sutliif, Syracuse, N.Y. Application January 7, 1958, Serial No. 707,494 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-116) This invention relates to printing apparatus of the type employing a stencil, such as a silk screen, wherein the stencil is moved toward and from a supporting surface on which the articles to be printed are located. In the silk screen type of stencil printing apparatus, the screen is coated with a filler over its entire surface except for certain portions, which portions are left uncoated to form the indicia which is to be printed on the articles carried by the supporting surface. A quantity of the printing ink is disposed on the coated screen, the screen is positioned on the work, and the ink is forced through the screen to print the desired indicia. The screen is then removed from the work.

A problem, in connection with this type of printing apparatus, is that the screen with the ink on it must be supported in a flat position during movement toward and from the surface on which the articles to be printed are carried in order to prevent any spillage of the printing ink.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to support a printing stencil in a manner whereby the stencil may be moved to and from the printing surface in a flat or level relation and in parallelism with the printing surface throughout the exent of its travel.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is bad to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention showing the stencil in the printed position.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus with the stencil in the same position as Figure ,1.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the apparatus, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view taken along line 4-4, Figure. 3.

In the drawings, the supporting surface on which the printing apparatus is mounted is indicated at and may be a printing bed plate, or the like, on which the articles to be printed are positioned so as to receive the print from the stencil when it is moved into proper position over said articles. Mounted on the supporting surface 10, in any suitable fashion, are a pair of guide rails 11, 12, which extend upwardly and rearwardly from the surface 10 in an oblique fashion.

The printing frame F is rectangular in shape and carries the stencil which may be a silk screen, or the like. Fixed in pivotal relation, as at 16, to the side portions or surfaces of the frame F at the forward portion thereof are a pair of links 17. The links 17 are also pivotally mounted at their opposite ends to the bed plate, or to forward portions 18 of the guide rails 11 and 12. A pair of bars 20 extend upwardly and rearwardly from the frame F in an oblique fashion and have a pair of rollers 21 mounted at their rearward ends. The rollers are re- 2,892,398 H .f atented June 30, 1959 ceived on the edges of the guide rails 11, 12, so as to rails; and therollers 21 are formed with'circumferentially extending grooves for engagement with the edges of the vertical leg portions of the rails 11, 12.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the upper ends of the guide rails 11, 12, are formed with circular notches 23 in order to receive the rollers, when the frame F has been moved to the up position, as shown in dotted outline, Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 3, after the printing operation has taken place in the manner well known, and the frame F is in the printing position indicated by the full lines in Figure 3, the frame may be moved to the upper position indicated by the dash lines of Figure 3. Due to the pivotally mounted links 17, bars 20 and rollers 21, the motion between the down or printing position and the up or inoperative position of the frame F takes place in a manner whereby the frame is at all times approximately flat and level and moves in parallelism with the surface 10 so as to prevent any printing ink from spilling over the edges of frame F, which is the frame on which the screen is supported. When the frame F reaches the upper position, the rollers 21 will be received in the notches 23 formed on the upper ends of the guide rails 11 and 12 so as to releasably latch the frame F in the upper position, whereby the printed article may be removed from the surface 10 so as to permit further printing operations.

The arrangement described functions to adequately support the screen frame, preventing any lateral movement of the frame during the printing operation and also while the frame is being moved toward and from the bed plate. These results are obtained by the economical angle iron construction of the guide rails.

What I claim is:

1. Screen printing apparatus comprising a bed plate, a pair of guide rails fixedly mounted on said bed plate in spaced apart parallel relation and extending rearwardly and upwardly from the bed plate at an oblique angle, a screen frame, a pair of rolls fixed to said frame in juxtaposition to the rear edge thereof, said rolls being received and guided by said rails, a pair of links pivotally mounted at like ends to the forward portion of said screen frame and being pivotally mounted at their opposite ends to said bed plate, said rails and links being cooperable to effect elevation of the frame above said bed plate upon rearward movement of the frame and to maintain said frame in parallel relation to the bed plate during such movement.

2. A screen printing apparatus comprising a bed plate, a screen carrying frame, a pair of links pivotally connected at like ends at the forward portion of said frame and being pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the bed plate, a pair of guide rails fixed to the bed plate and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom, a pair of rolls journalled on said frame for engagement with said rails whereby, upon forward and rearward movement of said frame, said links and rails are cooperable to effect movement of said frame toward and from the bed plate and to maintain said frame in substantially parallel relation to the bed plate during such movement of the frame.

3. A screen printing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the upper ends of said guide rails are formed with notches for receiving said rolls when said frame is moved to elevated position.

thereof, a pair of brackets secured to the frame and ex- 10 2,002,335

tending rearwardly thereof, a roll journalled on each ofsaid brackets for engagement with the oblique portions of said rails whereby, upon forward and rearward movement of said frame, said frame is caused to move toward 5 and from the bed plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dibble et al Oct, 16, 1932 Barnard May 21, 1935 

